Twas the Night Before Christmas
by M-Angel 05
Summary: It's been a few years since the war ended and now Ann and her husband have a momant to themselves, but they're not alone.
1. Chapter 1: Before Christmas

**Chapter 1**: _Before Christmas_

* * *

Years have passed since that final battle for earth. The Reapers were dead. Commander Shepard had been found by a search party led by Grunt. Miranda and Jack both had been with the large Krogan when he had found her limp body. They had feared the worst. Grunt had yelled her name into her ear, which had produced her opening one eye and looked at him. Her Krogan had then yelled with happiness, which had caused Jack to laugh and Miranda to begin her fussing. It had taken months for her to heal. It wasn't the wounds that would've killed her; even though they _had_ been life threatening. It would've been the thought of going on living without her now husband.

Ann Shepard was knocked out of her reverie when she heard a noise behind her. Turning her head she saw two little children playing on the floor laughing as they played with their toy space ships. She placed her cup of coffee onto the table next to the couch and smiled as she watched her children play. The two children, one human and the other a turian, continued to play, oblivious that their mother was watching them very carefully.

Ann still remembered when she found the two children. It had been after she'd recovered in the hospital. Four months of healing and rehabilitation later she was out and about helping with the cleanup of the London streets when she spotted a little human girl clinging to a ripped piece of cloth and was trying to craw into a hiding place under a building. She had jogged over to the little one and coaxed her back out of the hole in the wall. It had taken all of five minutes to do so. She'd only been about two years old at the time, covered in mud and dried blood, and was half starved to death when Shepard had picked her up and taken her to the human survivor camp. Six weeks later she had found a turian female, dead, who had died clinging to a tiny infant. It had been found that she'd been murdered for her baby's food by another turian mother. Ann had taken both children in and looked out for them until they could locate their next of kin. None had ever been found.

The front door closing brought Ann back to the present. Looking up from the playing children Ann saw her husband.

_Garrus. _

The mere mention of his name could make her either grab her gun to protect his six or make a want cry, in a good way.

Ann smiled as she spotted a bag in his hands. Her eyes traveled up that arm to his chest and finally his face where she saw him starring at her. A small shiver went up her spine as their eyes make contact. _Damn, he still can make me want him so badly_. She thought as he walked up to her. Their foreheads touched. "Did you get them?" she asked as he nuzzled her neck.

"Hmm…yes." He said as he pulled away allowing her to look directly into his blue eyes. His head turned towards the room and smirked when he spotted all of the Christmas decorations everywhere from the fireplace to the walls and finally the fully decorated Christmas Tree which had no presents under it. He smirked at his wife.

"Santa hasn't come yet." She explained to him as she turned back to her partially forgotten cup of coffee and headed for the kitchen to reheat it.

* * *

**M-Angel**: Here's part 1 of my Christmas Story I am publishing tonight. No _xoxoangii _today. I self published and edited this one on a friend's computer that has an actual spell and grammar check. LoL!


	2. Chapter 2: 'Twas the Night

**Chapter 2**: _'Twas the Night..._

* * *

Garrus stood outside a jewelry store looking at the diamond studded wrist band made for turian couples and walked into the store with a smile. He walked up to the asari behind the credit register. She smiled sweetly up at him. "May I help you." She asked

"Do you have that wrist band, that's in the front display, in a Palaven blue and white diamond?" he asked

"Yes." She said as she was about to grab it.

"Do you have it in a size that'll fit a human female?" he asked with a smile. He watched as realization hit her. It was like a lighbulb went on in her head. Oh he's that turian kind of thought went through her head.

"Yes." She said after a moment of stunned silence and that fake smile went back on her face.

* * *

After leaving the jewelry store he went to the children's department store. He smiled as he looked at the different childrens toys. Never did he actually think he'd be looking forward to the moment _his_ children would be opening a present from him and _his_ wife. For years he'd enjoyed being a bachelor, but the Saren happened and the rest was, as humans say; history.

* * *

Upon walking into the house his eyes immediately moved to access the room. The children were playing, oblivious that he was home, and Ann was staring at him with that smoldering look in her eyes and he immediately stiffened and became alert. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her and nudged his forehead against hers, a very turian thing and then nuzzled her neck as she rubbed that sweet spot on his neck with the tips of her fingers. She asked a question, which he answered. He looked around their apartment and looked at all the very Christmassy decorations everywhere and a tree in the corner of the room, beneath it was empty, waiting for the ton of presents he had just paid for. She then turned and went into the kitchen.

Placing the bag with the gifts in the front closet he approached the children and picked both of them up. "Isn't it time to go to bed?" he asked them.

Both of them laughed at him as they headed into their shared room. _Gotta get a bigger apartment_ he thought. "Daddy read us a story!" came his daughter's voice.

"Pweeze?" came his son's chirp.

His daughter wiggled out of his arms and ran over to her bookshelf of **_actual_** books thanks to Kasumi. _Never asking her how she got those._ He thought. She came back with a Christmassy book call _Twas the Night Before Christmas_.

All three got comfortable on his daughter's bed once both of the children on his lap he began.

"Twas the night before Christmas,

when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Once the poem slash story was finished he looked down at the children to see that they were both fast asleep. Upon looking up he saw Ann smiling at him. She walked up to him and took their son out of his arms and laid him in his bed. He slowly moved his daughter out from on his lap and covered her up. The two parents left the room and as their bedroom door shut behind him, Garrus suddenly had Ann in his arms and two of them shared a passion filled night.

* * *

**M-Angel**: So there is the end of my Christmas special. So Happy Holidays to everybody from me and I'm sure **xoxoangie** would wish ya'll the same if she was here. Have a great week everybody!

Also the poem is by Clement Clarke Moore (1779 - 1863)


	3. Chapter 3: Morning

**Chapter 3**_ Morning_

* * *

"It's Christmas!" came the screams from their daughter as she jumped onto the bed waking both Garrus and Ann from their slumber.

"Mmmm…" Ann groaned as she opened her eyes and saw her beautiful little girls face. Her bright green eyes dancing with mirth and happiness. "Morning sunshine." She said causing the little girl to giggle.

"Momma, Da." came her sons voice next to her ear. Turning her head she saw that the little boy's nose came up just to the edge of the bed. His fringe had lost most of its fuzzy feather-like texture and was taking on the natural scalely texture that Garrus had. He had told her that children lost that texture around three and that was their son's age now.

A moment later she heard Garrus' own groan as their daughter shifted her weight between the two parent's hips. "Come on Da!" she yelled. "Time for presents!"

"Okay." Came Garrus' muffled voice. "Go, we'll be out in a moment." That seemed to be the magic words as the two children ran off and out of their parent's room.

Turning around still in bed Ann looked at her husband, who looked just as tired as she felt. Pulling him close she sighed. "Morning." she said happily. Her eyes began to drift close.

"Happy Anniversary." He mumbled back to her, causing her to smile. A year after the war had ended, the Sol relay had been fixed, which had allowed those trapped in Arcturus System to be reunited with those on the other end. It had taken another year for the Aspien Crest relay, Thessian relay, Omega relay, and the Eden Prime relays to all be restored. It had been Eden Prime where the Normandy had crashed. Luckily it wasn't the only ship stranded there. Two quorian ships, including a liveship, had been in the system and what was even luckier was that they were ships controlled by the Zorah family. Tali had called them down to help with reconstructing the Normandy's hull and Garrus had gotten in contact with survivors of Eden Prime. So after two years apart the two had gotten re-married in this reality. It just so happened that they'd gotten re-married on Christmas.

"Yep." she said with a sigh. They had yet to figure out how to return to their reality. John had gone missing during the final battle. After they'd disabled the rogue Reaper AI that lived on the Citadel things had gone from bad to worse. She'd barely made it to the Normandy; unfortunately it wasn't her Normandy that she'd gotten onto, but John's. Hackett's order had come through and the last thing anybody saw was the Citadel exploding like a giant star going nova. Sighing one last time she stretched her body and got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom.

When she returned from the bathroom with her clothes changed into blue jeans and a blue knitted sweater she saw Garrus had changed into a turian equivalent of what she was wearing. "Good minds think alike." He said, causing her to snort. He smiled and the two headed out to watch their children open presents. Unknown to either of them that destiny wasn't done with them quite yet, but that's a tale for another time.

* * *

**M-Angel**: And yes, this means that once **Hero's Survival** is done I will be writing a third story in this series. Okay, so I just wanted to end with this little tid bit. I don't know why. I just did. It wouldn't leave me alone! It wanted to be written. I need **_xoxoangii_ **to tell me when to stop, though she never has told me to stop before. I'm, gonna shut up now.

Have great week everybody and a Happy New Year!


End file.
